Gutenberg! The Musical! opens at the Garner Galleria Theatre this week! Rodney Lizcano, the production’s director, is eager for this hit comedy to reach Denver audiences (and it runs through May – meaning you have time to get your tickets!).

Rodney Lizcano in American Mariachi. Photo by Adams VisCom

After spending 22 seasons as an actor and teaching artist, Lizcano is making his directorial debut with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Ahead of opening night, we sat down with Lizcano to discuss his history with the DCPA and Gutenberg! The Musical!.

DCPA: You’ve spent 22 seasons with the DCPA (so far). What are some of the highlights from your time with us?

Rodney Lizcano: A few shows that come to mind are the world premiere plays of The Book of Will and American Mariachi, but Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde holds a very special place in my heart. All these stories resonated with audiences deeply; for me they were artistic highlights in my career at the DCPA.

DCPA: Congratulations on your directorial debut with the DCPA! How has it felt to shift gears from performing and teaching here, to directing?

Lizcano: Thank you! I knew directing would be an eventual artistic pivot for me, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that I began to really water that seeded idea. I am deeply invested in telling stories of love, humor, and compassion, and I am so grateful to all the theater companies that have entrusted me to share my vision from behind the table as well as on stage.

DCPA: Why Gutenberg! The Musical? What was the draw for this project?

Rodney Lizcano in Twelfth Night. Photo by Adams VisCom

Lizcano: I am a fan of all comedy, including musical theatre comedy. This show, at its core, is about theater-making and the insurmountable task to form an idea, translate it to paper, then to music, and to eventually creating something out of nothing. That has been my life’s journey, certainly. I can connect to this play and these characters on a very deep artistic level.

DCPA: Gutenberg! The Musical! will run for six months in the Garner Galleria. How do you keep things fresh and fun when performing or directing a show for that long?

Lizcano: The relationship to the audience, especially in a long run such as this, changes every night. It’s the knowledge of the unknowns, of what ‘may’ happen on any given night that fuels me as an actor. I hope any actor in a long run such as this is able to find the joy in the repetition and continue to find ways to explore the play with the audience during every performance.

The cast of The Book of Will. Photo by Adams VisCom

DCPA: How would you entice someone who has never heard of Gutenberg to see the musical?

Lizcano: I encourage anyone who is a fan of musical theatre and who doesn’t know Gutenberg! The Musical! to take that great leap of chance and experience something new. The show is fast-paced with the right of amounts of humor and heart. I can’t imagine anyone not falling in love with Bud and Doug, our heroes of the show. Did I mention it’s funny, yet?

DCPA: Our last question is a fun one. There are several Shakespearean highlights in your repertoire. How would you compare and contrast Shakespeare with Gutenberg! The Musical!?

Lizcano: First, can I say, Hamlet is quoted a lot in this musical. That makes this little Shakespeare nerd so happy. Like in Shakespeare, when characters experience high emotional states they begin to speak in poetry. In musical theatre, the same device happens – but in this case, the characters begin to sing! I’m fascinated with the idea that when words are lacking, replace them with poetry and music.

DETAILS
Gutenberg! The Musical!
Nov 2, 2024 – May 4, 2025 • Garner Galleria Theatre
Tickets